Book 2 - Text Updates 010

He didn't remember every day. At the best of times, his mind had not been the sturdiest of clay pots. It had been shattered and the pieces incompletely reassembled since this day he was thinking of.

But the specific memory seemed clear and whole. It came to him like a lace curtain, brushing across his face in the breeze. The grunting and farting and leather-slaps of wings to all sides of him faded from his mind, as he studied the landscape below. Jetstone's orchards and fields scrolled by, so similar to Faq's...

Foolamancy is Eyemancy. By habit and trade, a Foolamancer must look. At all times, the Foolamancer must observe the nouns around him in finest detail and broadest stroke, in a way that other minds do not. Other minds take shortcuts. Other minds construct, telling themselves stories about what they see, rather than seeing. Foolamancy is therefore only a narrative. To tell a mind it sees something, the Foolamancer must both see the world as it is, and also as it is seen.

Staring into the void of that discrepancy is what drives one mad, really.

He glanced at Lady Firebaugh, up ahead. There was surely a vessel cracked worse (and repaired worse) than he.

She had been present, on that day he recalled. They'd awaited the Princess together. Upon the solemn ramparts of old Faq, they had talked about love.

"You know my position, Jack Snipe," said the Lady Firebaugh. In those days, "Jack" (as in "Knave") was his title as well as his name. And though as Casters they were equals at the philosophical feet of King Banhammer, she'd always kept the habit of calling him by his entire moniker.

"That would be extraordinary," said Jack. "To know someone else's position, without being certain of my own."

The Lady made a face. She didn't much care for semantics. "You know well what I mean. If love is Natural Thinkamancy, then show me the spell which binds or dispels it. Can you, Eyemancer? You cannot. If love were like Loyalty, it would be subject to control. There would be..." She turned and looked out at the mountaintops to the east and shrugged.

He followed her gaze to the near pass, where Princess Jillian would soon appear. Too well, he knew what the Lady Firebaugh meant. He didn't believe the Croakamancer was aware of their common affliction, but he could never be sure. "There would be defenses," he said quietly.

She shot him a look. "The Hippiemancers have a better claim. They have some spells..."

He breathed out a sigh and leaned his silk-sleeved elbows upon the rounded stonework, gazing down upon the city. "Those spells... Yes, love could be Natural Hippiemancy. But I suspect it is not. I suspect the Thinkamancers and the Florists and the Signamancers all are dancing about some cosmic fire they cannot comprehend."

He stood straight, and looked into the deep blue pools of pure Naughtymancy that this woman had for eyes. "I suspect," he said gravely, "love is something greater than magic itself, perhaps something even the Titans are helpless before."

The Lady Firebaugh seemed about to reply, but a horn sounded, short and sharp. Tiny yellow forms came into view in the eastern sky.

She turned to look, but Jack studied her a bit longer. "It is something we can discuss further in circle tonight, I suppose," he said.

The Croakamancer smiled and shook her head, looking off into the far distance. "I will be occupied tonight."

-This is the panel where Jack looks like Kain and/or a dragoon from Final Fantasy.

-Doing a search of Kain in the reaction thread for this comic will give you some insight which people have already discussed about the whole Jack looking like Kain/Betrayer thing and what that could mean.

I don't think Jack will turn. There is no evidence at all to Jack's loyalty level, saying that he will turn if given a better option is nothing but speculation. Jack's love for Jillian is far from assured. Jack himself never said anything, only Jillian did.

Jillian the Barbarian Warlord wrote:

I think he had a little crush on me.

That's it. All we have on Jack and Jillian's relationship. Jillian could have misinterpreted him, a 'little crush' might have been it. I know all the stuff about the Jack and Jill going up a hill, but that could have simply been a reference to Jillian fixing Jack's 'broken crown', which happened upon him seeing someone from Faq he liked, as opposed to Wanda, who was a b**** even then

I don't expect Jack to turn to Faq either, but I'm beginning to see why some people suspect he will. Not saying I agree with that assessment. There's one scenario I've mentioned in which, based on what we've just found out about Jack, he'll switch sides. Not a likely scenario though.

Oh, and he mentions in this book that he has an affliction shared by Wanda. Heavily implied to be a fancy for Jillian.

I don't think Jack will turn. There is no evidence at all to Jack's loyalty level, saying that he will turn if given a better option is nothing but speculation. Jack's love for Jillian is far from assured. Jack himself never said anything, only Jillian did.

Jillian the Barbarian Warlord wrote:

I think he had a little crush on me.

That's it. All we have on Jack and Jillian's relationship.

So what do you make of Jack's lines just after he betrays Jillian, helping Stanley escape
"love is the wisdom of the fool and folly of the wise"... he seemed to REALLY lament what he had to do there

I don't expect Jack to turn to Faq either, but I'm beginning to see why some people suspect he will. Not saying I agree with that assessment. There's one scenario I've mentioned in which, based on what we've just found out about Jack, he'll switch sides. Not a likely scenario though.

Oh, and he mentions in this book that he has an affliction shared by Wanda. Heavily implied to be a fancy for Jillian.

Right. Even the Wiki points out Jack seems to have an unusually high loyalty to Stanley. If he was going to turn, he would have done it at the Pass.

Oh, and he mentions in this book that he has an affliction shared by Wanda. Heavily implied to be a fancy for Jillian.

Wanda and Jack share another affliction: Crazy.

Who's sane here?

Jillian wants Wanda/Ansom/to be independent/to be dominated/Vinny/kill Stanley?/etc.
Ansom is dominated to the point where he has to make nice to someone he despises (Stanley).
Stanley has deep psychological issues from being short/non-royal/a moron.
Slately can't see past his Royal ideas.
Don... we have no idea WHAT he's planning.
Parson can't decide if he wants to conquer the world or not.
Charlie is a Tuna.